To LSU and Back!

Brad and I had a little ROAD trip this weekend. I emphasize ROAD trip, because we were basically on the road the whole time. We had plans to go to the LSU game this weekend, and as most of the world knows by now, GUSTAV, cut our trip a little short. We left Friday evening and headed to Baton Rouge. The trip was really easy, there was no traffic at all. Maybe that's because we were one of the few cars who were actually heading South! We arrived around midnight, checked in, and grabbed something to eat....as in drove through Cane's Chicken. Woke up bright and early for the 10am game. There was hardly any traffic, so we didn't have a problem getting to the game at all. We had fantastic seats on the 35 yard line on LSU's side. The only problem was that is was HOTT! Now, I have lived in Louisiana all of my life, but this was some unbearable heat. There was not a cloud in the sky or a hint of a breeze. They were giving away 2 for 1 waters it was so hot. At halftime LSU was leading 30-0, so a lot of the fans cut out. The news was saying to prepare for the storm, but I'm reporting, it was because of the heat. Brad and I decided to cut out during the 3rd quarter. We just couldn't take it anymore. We were both soaking wet and miserable. I have never heard Tiger Stadium that quiet. We got out really easy, got something to eat and headed North just like the rest of the folks. Traffic was heavy, but it was a steady flow. We were never at a stand still. I'm so glad we ended up going though. I had a really good time despite the heat. Brad and I needed a night away in a king size bed, at a nice hotel. I got to eat breakfast at a normal speed, with a fork, and actually swallow. It felt odd to just get up and get dressed and not dress, feed, and pack 2 other people. We didn't argue in the car one time, and most of you know, that was a miracle in itself. It was just a really great ROAD TRIP! Oh, by the way, thanks mom and dad for keeping Colton and to Mike and Deanna for keeping Raelee. You're the greatest! Please keep everyone down south in your prayers and prepare for some bad weather here also. Have a wonderful and safe Labor Day! Here are some pics from the game:

Pregame

Here come the TIGERS!

We were by the student section

Woo Hoo

Death Valley from the Interstate

A Chick-Fil-A Kind Of Day

Yesterday we had a lunch date with my friend and neighbor, Margaret, and her son Will. Will is about 6 months older than Colton. We wanted to get the kids out since it had been raining so much lately and they had been cooped up in the house. ( and for mine and Margaret's sanity) We went to Chick-Fil-A since that's really the only place for the little ones to play. It looked like it was going to rain, AGAIN, so we didn't want to take our chances. We let the monsters play for a while and work up an appetite before getting some food. They played so hard and had so much fun. Colton and Will loved the tree house and Raelee found some new friends. That child never meets a stranger. I haven't decided if that is a good or bad thing yet. The kiddos ran their little legs off, so it wasn't too hard to get them to come eat. Margaret and I inhaled our food because once the kids were through, they were ready to head back out. We let them play a few more minutes, then it started getting a little crowded. I think they all had a blast....I know mine did. Colton passed out as soon as we got home. We love our great neighbors and can't wait to do it again! Here are a few pics from our fun day.....

This looks like DOUBLE TROUBLE!!!!!!

PJ Party and SCC

As most of you know, Brad's cousin Randall lives next door to us. They have a son, Josh, that is 2 days older than Raelee. As crazy as it sounds, Josh and Raelee have never had a sleepover. I know....NUTS! Anyway, Randall and Lisa had a wedding to go to, so we decided it was the perfect time. Raelee talked me into going to the dollar store that day to get lots of goodies. So, for the next few hours all I heard was, "when is Josh coming over?"! Josh, finally arrived, PJs and all, and we started the fun. First they did their stickers, then we made foam picture frames and I put their pictures in it.

Colton chased them around a bit, then it was time for him to pass out. I put him to bed and made Raelee and Josh a bed upstairs. We made popcorn, and after much deliberation, found a mutual movie. They really play very well together considering Josh is ALL boy and Raelee is ALL girl. Oh, FYI, Brad was watching football during this whole PJ party.

Lisa and Randall came and got Josh since it wasn't too late. The kids were both asleep, so they didn't really realize it until the next morning. We had lots of fun and can't wait to have many more to come!

Sunday morning we had a big celebration at church. (Shreveport Community Church, formerly 1st Assembly of God) They opened a new addition called "KID CITY". It was fantastic. They have a huge indoor playground, an arcade, and a place to have your birthday party. There is even a Starbucks and pastry bar. They were also celebrating Denny and Deanza's 10th year as Pastors and SCC's 25th year anniversary. There were several great guest ,who we have not seen in a while, including Teddy Grover. Also, all the Duron kids were there. They are spread out all over now, so that was great to see them all back together. Raelee had so much fun in her new classroom and playing on the new playground. It was a wonderful day! Hope you all had as fun of a weekend as we did!

Rainy Days & Shoe Shopping

It's been a little yucky here lately, so the kids and I have had a LOT of togetherness. Yesterday we finally got a little sunshine and we headed out shopping for school shoes. With Grandmother in tow, we hit every shoe store on Youree Dr. to find my fat foot boy, and my itty bitty princess some shoes. Raelee definitely takes after her mamma....she ended up with 6 pairs of shoes. I'm really ashamed to admit that! Girls have to have certain shoes for certain outfits. Boys just need the basic brown and tennis shoes....sorry Colton. Anyway, we survived and Raelee will have cute feet if nothing else.
Here are a few videos of the rest of the week inside. We played every board game, did every puzzle, colored every picture and watched every movie. Colton's favorite game is Wack-A-Mole.(For good reason I guess) I think Brad was actually relieved to go back to work Wednesday. They may drive us nuts when we are all confined in one house all day.....but we love these little restless monsters!
P.S. You can push pause on my music so that you can hear the videos.
This first one is of Colton covering his ears every time Raelee's bear starts to sing.

This next one is of the kids playing Wack-A-Mole.

Last one is of Raelee singing a beautiful song.(that she's making up as she goes)

Didn't Know I Had Those!

I'm sitting here working...now moving on to blogging....and it's raining outside. I love to hear the rain when the kiddos are asleep and I can ACTUALLY relax and listen to it.
Not too much going on in the Johnson household this weekend. Mom and Dad (AKA Grandmother and Pawpaw) got a Nintendo Wii last week. They thought it would be a good idea for all of us "older" kids to come over and learn the games before the little ones started in. Yep, I have to get a leg up on my 4yr old. So, Kevin and Alisha and Brad and I went over and showed our age. Dad cooked some burgers and the games began. We didn't even really play that long, but lordy, my arms would tell you other wise. That is some serious business. Now I see what all the fuss is about. I discovered muscles I didn't know I had. I think us girls have decided we need to belong to a bowling league...that's right...we're that good! I'm thinking after some tennis, boxing, and the fit challenges, I'll be a teenager again. Ok, so maybe that's pushing it, but this really is some good exercise. Raelee kept wanting to play, but we were all so into it, we kept telling her to hold on. Awww, maybe next time sweety. Anyway, next time you see the Johnson and Hagedorn clans, we will be unbe-Wii-vable! (I think the rain is getting to me)

Nothing New

Hey everyone! Not a lot new has been going on in the Johnson household this week. I've been working, it's been hot outside, and Colton (yet again) has a yucky nose. Brad is on his 5 days off now, so maybe we'll do something interesting. I want to take Raelee to Gator and Friends, so we'll see. Raelee's pre-school will start Sept 2, so she is counting down the days. Colton will go one day a week too. She has already told me that she will take very good care of him at school. What a GREAT big sis. Until then, we're just trying to find some last minute fun summer things to do!

P.S. When Grandmother and Pawpaw play the Wii games all night and are not sore, and I play 3o mins and can't move my arms......I think that means I need to hit the gym. (or the Wii a little more!)

Never Another One......

You can never have another one, just like the other one! I was watching the kids last night and I was thinking, it's amazing how different my two children are. Raelee was an easy baby, would stay with anyone, and took such gentle care of everything. Take all of that and reverse it...that's my Colton. They both have such unique personalities. Raelee is a true daddy's girl, and Colton is for sure a mamma's boy. One has the most blue eyes, and the other one has dark brown. One will eat ANYTHING, and the other is picky and can't stand certain smells. Raelee would sit and play, and still does, with something for long periods of time. Colton has to be moving at ALL times. The list goes on and on. They both go to bed very easy, and sleep all night, and they both LOVE music. It's just amazing how you can birth two totally different children. I love these little people with all my heart and I can't wait to see how they grow. I love you Rae and Colt!

Happy Birthday Carley!

Happy Birthday to my friend, who is more like a little sister, Carley. We grew up our whole lives across the street from each other, and our parent's were, and still are, best friends. Our families went to Florida when we were really little, and Carley fell in love with the dolphins. For as long as I can remember, that has always been her passion. She chased her dream and is now a dolphin trainer at the Miami Seaquarium. Even though she is hundreds of miles away, we know she is living out her dream. She is definitely Raelee's idol right now, seeing as that she is obsessed with dolphins too. She always wants to know if Carley is going to bring one back when she comes in town. Well, have a wonderful birthday Carley, and enjoy the weekend with the family. Maybe, Shreveport will be getting an aquarium sometime soon......there's always hope!

Purdy Peppers

Here is a pic of the pretty peppers we had in our dinner last night. As most of you know, I can be Super Mom, but I am no Betty Crocker! Raelee was flipping through cookbooks admiring many desserts, and I got this sudden urge to cook. We found lots of great recipes, and headed to the grocery store with a long list. I'm surprised Brad didn't have a heart attack when he came home and found out what I was doing. I really do like to cook, I just don't like doing it with two people up under me. Well, I guess that's not really an excuse, seeing as that I didn't cook pre-children either. Also, when you have a husband that cooks, you tend to let him feel needed in that area. But, I'm ready now, so move over Betty Crocker, this southern gal is heatin' up the kitchen!
P.S. Are you proud Mimi? If you hurry back I'll try something new on you too! See ya soon...MUAH!!!

Evening Fun Before Bathtime

Winnie the Pooh was blowing the bubbles, and Colton was making sure they tasted good. This girl will pick ANYTHING that grows!

Mommy's little sidekick.Daddy's future fishing buddy.

What a blessed mommy.A beautiful sight!

Family Time Weekend

Yay....Daddy was off all weekend, so we had a lot of family time! It is so hot in good ole' Shreveport, that we can barely go outside with the kids for a long period of time. Well, they were going super stir crazy, so we decided to brave the heat a little at a time this weekend.

Friday, we headed down to the Boardwalk. We went shopping in Bass Pro Shop and looking at all the animals. Raelee loves pointing out all of the animals everywhere and seeing the alligators. Then we walked around outside and went to the candy shop for candy and an Icee. Next, we let the kids ride the mini carousel inside the arcade because they were too hot to ride the big one outside. A few games (and dollars) later it was time to load up.

Saturday, we went to the horse races at the Louisiana Downs with the other Johnson crew...Randall, Lisa, and Josh. My cousin's horse was racing, so the kids loved it. We took them down to see the horses where they warm up, but it was super hot. We went inside, got plenty of snacks, and waited for the race. Raelee cheered for the "PINK" ones, and Josh cheered for the "GREEN" ones. Raelee got VERY upset when her horse did not win. After a couple of races, we got some grub and headed home. (P.S. according to the car, it was 108 degrees when we left)

Sunday, I did an open house while Brad watched the kiddos. Sunday evening Rocky and Rachael invited us over for dinner at the new house. Rocky is a great friend of Brad's and I just sold them a house in our neighborhood, so Brad is so excited. They have two dogs, Belle and Harry, that the kids absolutely LOVE. So, they were kind enough to invite the kiddos too, and they had a blast. They may be sorry they moved within walking distance of the Johnsons! Rachael cooked a wonderful meal and had plenty of books for Rae to read. Colton was getting sleepy so we called it a night pretty early. Thanks for a wonderful evening Uncle Rocky and Aunt Rachael!!!!!!

I'm so blessed to have such wonderful friends to spend quality family time with. This year has been a whirl wind to me, and I don't know how I would have done it all without you. Colton is a whole different story from Raelee, so I'm afraid the chaos has just begun. Hang in there with me, I'm trying to keep my sanity!!!!!!

Don't you LOVE it when you......

...get to spend a family day with the hubby and kids

...see your children hug, and your oldest sing the baby a lullaby (even if she does have an agenda)

...cut open a watermelon that is just right

...go to bed on crisp sheets, straight from the dryer

...hit all the green lights on Youree Dr.

...fit into something from the pre-baby days

...find a great deal while shopping

...get tickets to the LSU season opener (thanks pappy!)

...get a fresh hair cut (and highlights)

...get to have a date night with grown ups

...when you make new wonderful friends, and run into old ones

...know you have the most wonderful family in the world!


* I could go on forever, but I figured I would leave some for you to post. Leave me a comment on the things you LOVE!